1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to heat dissipation devices for removing heat from electronic components, and more particularly to a heat dissipation device combining heat sink and heat pipes together.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional heat dissipation devices used for removing heat from electronic components are mostly formed by extrusion of metallic material. Such kind of heat dissipation device commonly comprises a base, and a plurality of fins integrally extending from the base. The fins are relatively thick in comparison with distances defined between each two adjacent fins, due to inherent limitations in extrusion technology. This restricts the number of the fins that can be formed, and a total heat dissipation area that can be provided by the fins. Furthermore, a height of the fins is limited to about 13 times the distance between each two adjacent fins, also due to inherent limitations in extrusion technology.
In order to keep pace with these developments in electronics technology, assembled heat dissipation devices have been gaining in popularity. For example, China Patent No. 2462641Y provides an assembled heat dissipation device having a plurality of uniformly dimensioned individual plate fins evenly stacked together. This heat dissipation device can provide a large total heat dissipation area. However, the fins are connected together only by the attachment of the tabs of each fin in the indents of the adjacent fin. The fins are prone to be disengaged from each other when the heat dissipation device is subjected to shock or vibration during transportation or in operation. Part of or even the entire stack of fins may collapse.
With the continuing boom in electronics technology, numerous modem electronic components such as central processing units (CPUs) of computers can operate at very high speeds and thus generate large amounts of heat. The heat must be efficiently removed from the CPU; otherwise, abnormal operation or damage may result. The conventional heat removal way merely by conduct of heat is increasingly no longer able to adequately remove heat from these contemporary electronic components.
Meanwhile, heat pipes have been generally applied to enhance heat removal efficiency. FIG. 3 shows a heat dissipation device including a plurality of small heat pipes perpendicularly inserted into a base and a plurality of spaced fins individually perpendicularly engaged with the heat pipes. However, the fins must be punctured to define a plurality of small through holes. The heat pipes are soldered to the spaced individual fins in the through holes respectively. This is unduly inconvenient due to the dimensions of the through holes. Furthermore, the engagement of the heat pipes with the base is limited by the thickness of the base. The total contacting area between the heat pipes and the fins is limited by the dimension of the heat pipes. Though the heat pipes inherently have a great heat-transfer capability, the heat dissipation device is not yet enhanced to remove heat from the CPU.